While the petition has been widely reported, it’s unclear whether it will make much difference.

In the meantime, many observers have attempted to explain why Apple would drop a port that has been standardised on so many devices for so long.

The most common explanation is that it’s about the thinness of the device – that abandoning the jack will allow Apple to save precious weight and perhaps shave off a little bit more width compared to the iPhone 6.

However, a San Francisco-based designer, Matt Galligan, has produced an alternative explanation that has gained support from other commentators.

He cites recent Apple patents as proof that Cupertino wants to create handsets with larger screens – and potentially do away with physical buttons altogether.

“I don’t have an inside source, nor any concrete reason to provide that would help prove my point, but think that if we read the tea leaves a bit Apple may have something big on the way, all because they’re getting rid of a 100 year old jack,” Galligan said.